Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network : JNCCN

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Patients with cancer have long been an important and enigmatic part of basic science and clinical research in thromboembolic disease. The reciprocal deleterious effects on outcomes of a cancer diagnosis on patients with thrombosis and a thrombotic event on patients with cancer have been observed and documented for more than a century. Patients with cancer continue to be one of the more difficult populations to manage using the available unfractionated and low-molecular-weight heparins and the oral vitamin K antagonists...

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) has serious consequences for patients with cancer, including mortality. VTE is preventable with appropriate thromboprophylaxis, but prior public health efforts have focused on prophylaxis in the inpatient setting. However, most VTE events in malignancy currently occur in outpatients. Several recent clinical trials have addressed thromboprophylaxis in the ambulatory setting. Their findings suggest potential benefit, but with significant variation in underlying risk. A risk-adapted approach that incorporates risk of thrombosis, risk of bleeding, and patient preference can target high-risk patients and also allow low-risk patients to avoid prophylaxis...

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a common and life-threatening complication among patients with cancer. Thromboprophylaxis can be used to prevent the occurrence of VTE in patients with cancer who are considered at high risk for developing this complication. Therefore, it is critical to recognize the various risk factors for VTE in patients with cancer. Risk assessment tools are available to help identify patients for whom discussions regarding the potential benefits and risks of thromboprophylaxis would be appropriate...

The recent NCCN Guidelines for Survivorship recommend systematic evaluation and multidisciplinary treatment of cancer-related sexual dysfunctions. However, most oncology professionals fail to routinely assess sexual problems and lack expertise to treat them. An Internet-based intervention was designed to educate female patients and their partners about cancer-related sexual problems, describe medical treatment options and how to find expert care, and provide self-help strategies. A randomized trial assessed efficacy of the intervention when used as self-help versus the same Web access and 3 supplemental counseling sessions...

Lynch syndrome (LS) is the most common hereditary colon cancer syndrome, and accounts for 2% to 3% of all colorectal cancers. These tumors are caused by germline mutations of DNA mismatch repair genes, which result in microsatellite instability. Colonic and extracolonic malignancies can occur at a young age, and are often diagnosed at a late stage because of underrecognition of the syndrome. Identifying individuals with LS before the development of these malignancies decreases mortality because of frequent screening and surveillance of colonic and extracolonic cancers...

NCCN Guidelines recommend active surveillance as the primary management option for patients with very-low-risk prostate cancer and an expected survival of less than 20 years, reflecting the favorable prognosis of these men and the lack of perceived benefit of immediate, definitive treatment. The authors hypothesized that care at a multidisciplinary clinic, where multiple physicians have an opportunity to simultaneously review and discuss each case, is associated with increased rates of active surveillance in men with very-low-risk prostate cancer, including those with limited life expectancy...

The new quality standard for cancer care established in 2008 by the Institute of Medicine requires that the psychosocial domain be integrated into routine cancer care. The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer has incorporated this standard in its accreditation requirements for 1500 cancer centers in the country, to be fully implemented by 2015. Oncology offices and clinics are developing procedures for quickly identifying distressed patients and referring them to appropriate mental health professionals...

There is increasing enthusiasm for genomics and its promise in advancing personalized medicine. Genomic information has been used to personalize health care for decades, spanning the fields of cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, endocrinology, metabolic medicine, and hematology. However, oncology has often been the first test bed for the clinical translation of genomics for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications. Notable hereditary cancer examples include testing for mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 in unaffected women to identify those at significantly elevated risk for developing breast and ovarian cancers, and screening patients with newly diagnosed colorectal cancer for mutations in 4 mismatch repair genes to reduce morbidity and mortality in their relatives...

The 2014 NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia recommend quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) standardized to International Scale (IS) as the preferred method for monitoring molecular response to tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy. A BCR-ABL1 transcript level of 10% or less (IS) is now included as the response milestone at 3 and 6 months. Change of therapy to an alternate TKI is recommended for patients with BCR-ABL1 transcript levels greater than 10% (IS) at 3 months after primary treatment with imatinib...

Cancer-associated retinopathy (CAR) is a rare autoimmune condition associated with various cancers, causing significant visual impairment. Visual symptoms in CAR may or may not correlate with the extent of systemic disease or its response to chemotherapy, and must be addressed separately from the management of systemic malignancy. Steroids have been the mainstay of CAR therapy. Various immunomodulatory therapies have also been described with varying responses, but the overall visual prognosis remains poor. Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of non-Hodgkin's B-cell lymphoma and many autoimmune disorders...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the penis represents approximately 0.5% of all cancers among men in the United States and other developed countries. Although rare, it is associated with significant disfigurement, and only half of the patients survive beyond 5 years. Proper evaluation of both the primary lesion and lymph nodes is critical, because nodal involvement is the most important factor of survival. The NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Penile Cancer provide recommendations on the diagnosis and management of this devastating disease based on evidence and expert consensus...